To Love a Narcissist

After the collapse of her marriage, Charlotte delves into the uncertain world of online dating, where trust becomes a weapon in a dangerous game. Through her eyes, we witness a delicate interplay of manipulation and desire, as an insidious bond forms, blurring the lines between victim and perpetrator. Vulnerability and control shift subtly, exposing layers of deception that challenge the very concept of trust. As her relationship with Roberto unravels, her past takes on new meaning, forcing her to confront unsettling patterns.

Documentary Competition

RARE: A Rare Disease Revolution

‘RARE’ unveils what stands between families fighting rare diseases, hoping for treatments, and emerging groundbreaking therapies. Due to the rare nature and thus limited profit margin of these conditions, large pharmaceutical and biotech companies often turn a blind eye towards developing treatments. Unlike more common diseases like cancer, parents of children with rare diseases are burdened with the responsibility of raising funds and spearheading drug development to save their children. Their fight is not just for their children but for future generations diagnosed with these diseases.

Documentary Competition

Endless Exile

Two Armenian women on opposite sides of the world tell their family stories to bring to light the past and present persecution of the Armenian people

Documentary Short Film Competition

Afloat

When two sisters embark on a sailing trip on the Aegean coast with their fractured family, simmering resentments and buried secrets rise to the surface, threatening to shatter their fragile bonds with each other and their homeland.

Woman Directed Film - Documentary Feature

Amal

A Woman`s Struggle to raising her kids turns to be a murderer.

Narrative Short Film Competition

Greening of the Bronx: An Urban Garden Tale

Picture an environmentalist for many Americans that prompts an image of someone who’s white, well-educated, and in the middle class. Now, picture the Bronx, a community where new urban environmentalists have risen and are changing the landscape, redefining what “greening” means, including environmental, social, and economic justice.

Woman Directed Film - Documentary Short

Bridge of Curiosity

Bridge of Curiosity is a heartful journey of wisdom and wonder, with conversations with young and old worldwide, illuminating the profound significance of curiosity, wisdom, and inclusion across generations ... Highlighting the invaluable benefits of knowledge transfer from the elderly, forging connections that enrich both young and old alike.

Documentary Short Film Competition

Shame

When a woman is sexually assaulted by a mutual friend the night before, her confrontation with her best friend leads to tragic consequences.

Woman Directed Film - Documentary Short

Memories of Salt

After years of visiting her grandmother's fisherman village in Galicia and hearing bits of stories deemed too traumatic to talk about, Naomi decides to document the oral histories of her elders during a visit to Spain with her 93-year-old grandmother. Through this short documentary, filmed in both Spain and the US, Naomi details the story of a fisherman family who combated fascism during Franco-era Spain, and paid a price.

Woman Directed Film - Documentary Short

September 13, 2004

A 17-year-old kid from South Chicago, coexists with his selfish foster mother. On September 13, 2004, on his way to school with his best friend they discover something that will change their lives forever.

Narrative Short Film Competition

A Girl

Award-winning artist Lachi performs a dynamic acoustic concert at Amazon Music Studios joined by fellow blind vocalists Precious Perez and J. Renee. A vibrant sign language performer joins the artists as part of the all-female band. Cast, crew, and artists are majority, female or and majority folks of all races, disabilities, and walks of life.

Music Video

Where are you really from?

An ambitious first-generation Indian managing director at a major London bank loses his British accent in a stroke.

Narrative Short Film Competition

Labyrinth

"The world has gone to pieces. An endless nightmare has swept through the whole town. Existence no longer follows the rhythm of time. Terror is omnipresent, like background noise. Andreas tries to face the loss of his foundations. What can any possible salvation be like? Starring Serge Avedikian, Nora Armani and Frounze Dovlatyan. "

Documentary Competition

Women in Armenian Cinema

Dedicated to the 100-year history of Armenian cinema, the film highlights the names of forgotten Armenian women directors who were active during the Soviet Era, and presents new movies made during the years of independence.

Woman Directed Film - Documentary Short

I Am Gitxsan

"I Am Gitxsan" follows Phoenix Apperloo, a recent high school graduate reconnecting with his Indigenous heritage in Hazelton, British Columbia, Canada. Inspired by encounters with residential school survivors, he writes a heartfelt letter to Prime Minister Trudeau about the injustices faced by his people. It culminates with a moving message of hope and determination, emphasizing the power of the Gitxsan people's enduring spirit, the beauties of their culture, and their commitment to future generations.

Documentary Competition

The Turtle

It is a film about returning home and the place where every person is forever connected to their childhood memories. Only by accepting their roots and past can one build a future on a solid foundation. The protagonist's journey back home leads to the realization of the triangular relationships between the father, the son, and the deceased grandfather.

Narrative Short Film Competition

In the Name of Fire

In the remote outskirts of Manorva village, Rukhiya, Phekan, and their son Karimana live on society's margins, enveloped by the haunting melodies of Kirtan prayers. Phekan, a humble laborer, struggles against poverty while resilient Rukhiya tenderly nourishes their child despite scarce resources. Phekan's journey to the city for work unfolds in stark vignettes of exploitation and deceit, culminating in a violent clash with the police, leaving him battered and disillusioned. Back home, Rukhiya is tormented by whispers branding her a witch, and an ominous voice threatens her son's life unless she makes an unthinkable sacrifice.

Documentary Competition

Les eaux calmes

Calmer Waters

Thirteen years after a tragic diving accident left Soleine paralyzed from the neck down, Les eaux calmes  (Calmer Waters) documents her brave decision to become the first quadriplegic woman in Quebec to give birth. Through thought-provoking narration and intimate footage shot over the course of a decade, Soleine's desire to embrace motherhood is what ultimately leads to self-forgiveness and her place in this world. But as she approaches 40, Soleine still hasn’t mourned the loss of her legs. Determined to relive her fondest childhood memory, a fishing trip with her family, Soleine is ready to let go of the past and once again dive into water. 

Documentary Competition

Untold Concerts

New York City’s musical heart exposed through the stories of diverse music enthusiasts, showcasing their struggles and triumphs amidst the city’s relentless pace. Combining interviews, live performances, and a montage of NYC’s land- and soundscapes, the film celebrates the unifying power of music - despite all challenges.

Documentary Short Film Competition

FORECAST

FORECAST captures the pulse of Times Square, New York City on the eve of the 2024 US Presidential Election. Justin roams the streets with a microphone and a camera (wielded by gifted cinematographer Andrès Arias). As the evening unfolds, a chorus of hope and heartbreak reveals a sobering account of the state of US politics and American society itself.

Documentary Short Film Competition

Airborne Abyss

As the world suffocates, a helpless father fights desperately to keep his family breathing.

Woman Directed Film - Documentary Short

Words Left Unspoken

After avoiding speaking at all cost for over two decades, Joze Piranian, who has a severe stutter, decides to confront his fears, by travelling back to his home country, Lebanon, and holding the conversations he never dared to have before with his family. He hopes to finally make peace with his stutter and become the man he’s always wanted himself to be.

Documentary Competition

A Culinary Uprising: The Story of Bloodroot

In the '70s and '80s, there were over 230 feminist restaurants, cafes, and coffeehouses throughout the United States and Canada. Bloodroot, located in Bridgeport, Connecticut, is now the oldest and longest-lasting of those spaces, and it has been in continuous operation for over 46 years. The film is a short documentary that explores this feminist, queer, vegan restaurant and bookstore, and illuminates the legacy of its pioneering proprietors, Selma Miriam and Noel Furie.

Documentary Competition

VIRGINS BY CHOICE

In a desperate act to heal their broken hearts, two girlfriends vow to give up sex for a year only to discover that true love has no timeline. After her divorce, Luna’s life is unraveling as she struggles to overcome the narcissistic abuse that haunts her mind. With her newly discovered bisexuality, she’s looking for “love” in all the wrong places. Meanwhile, 40-year-old Lily finds herself single again after a broken engagement. These two best friends embark on a journey to heal. But when their perfect matches show up, their commitment to stay abstinent is put to the test, along with their friendship.

Documentary Competition

Mary Kelly: From Stone to Cloud

Mary Kelly: From Stone to Cloud is an intimate portrait of the Conceptual Feminist artist, chronicling her personal history which led her to leave her hometown in Southern Minnesota and travel the world, becoming invested in the Feminist Movement beginning with the March on Washington in 1963. Since then she has focused her work on Feminist issues including the objectification of women, maternity, and wartime atrocities against women and children.

Documentary Short Film Competition

Say My Name

People from different ethnic backgrounds with "difficult" names by Western standards share their experience with moving through the world with an identity that challenges others to simply just say their name—a meditation on identity, otherness, assimilation, community, and ancestral roots.

Woman Directed Film - Documentary Short

Before 1619: She Took Justice

Journey to Angola and discover the feats of an extraordinary African warrior Queen who fought European invaders in the 1660s and her powerful connection today.

Documentary Short Film Competition

Vacation Plantation

Today, in the American South, there are as many historic plantation sites open to the public as there are Krispy Kreme locations across the United States. These sites indulging tourists’ fantasies, rather than the horrific realities of the past. Vacation Plantation grants unparalleled access to the modern American plantation tourism industry – from the priorities of today’s plantation owners, to the political balancing act of State representatives, to the descendants of the enslaved fighting for change.

Documentary Competition

Jesus Bird (Baptism in the Jordan)

A young "Crook," a card player-swindler, follows trains, deceives the passengers, and steals money. When exposed to fraud, he is often beaten. On the train, he meets pioneer schoolchildren and their attractive leader, who thinks he is a priest because of his outfit. While eating and drinking their offerings, he begins to talk nonsense, referring to Christ as a bird, and gradually embodies his character as a priest.

Narrative Short Film Competition

Beyond the Berlin Wall – Reports from Stasi Prisoners

Thirty-five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, three former political prisoners recall their moments of violation and humiliation in the clutches of state security in East Berlin. This documentary offers an insight into their experiences of this period in and out of prison, from a historical and personal point of view. The stories of Edda Schönherz, a former TV news presenter, Hans-Joachim (Akki) Lietsche, a former window dresser, and Matthias Leupold, a fashion magazine driver at the time, will make you reflect not only about the past but also about the present.

Documentary Competition

A bout de flouse

TOUFIK, fifty, is a director. He has just learned the day before the filming of his new film that JP, his volunteer cinematographer, will not be able to come to the filming because the latter has just been hired on a paid film shoot. Stunned by this bad news, TOUFIK decides, despite the very little time he has, to find a volunteer cinematographer who has his own camera gear to shoot for ten days.

Documentary Competition

Lady Parts

On the verge of finally breaking into her dream career in Los Angeles, Paige (in a hilariously deadpan performance by Valentina Tammaro) is forced to put everything on hold, move back in with her parents, and undergo a vulvar vestibulectomy, in order to alleviate years of vaginal pain. Paige’s excruciating and hilarious road to recovery makes the health and wellbeing of her lady parts a family affair, as her loving but over-enthusiastic parents learn that saying “vagina” loud and proud is the first step to advocating for women’s health. Based on writer/executive producer Bonnie Gross’s true story, Gross and director Nancy Boyd both pull from their own, horrifically cringe-worthy experiences with vaginal pain and the difficulties women face receiving treatment. Lady Parts is heartfelt, laugh-out-loud funny, and brutally honest, offering audiences a glimpse into an experience many women face, but few talk about, either on or offscreen.

Documentary Competition

Traveling Mercies

Two Black high school students have different attitudes about the daily micro aggressions they experience in an ultra wealthy neighborhood of Houston, TX. When one of them encounters a shocking outburst at their private prep school, they’re both forced to reexamine their viewpoints.

Narrative Short Film Competition

A Matter of Time

Burney is 94 years old and doesn’t want to leave his condo. Sandy is 81 and feeling isolated. Aging is tough, and these two seniors in St. Louis have some hard decisions to make.

Documentary Short Film Competition

Darcine's Day

We spend the day with Darcine Thomas (Kyla Diane Kennedy), divorced and jobless, as she struggles to get back on her feet. She plans to start a new business to help those living on the street, and struggles to find her own new job. Hitting obstacles at every turn, she comes face to face with the L.A. housing crisis.

Narrative Short Film Competition

Glen Reige 20 WP

Roberta, an urban Mohawk woman living in New York City, has her best friend from the rez, Krystal, come to the city. Krystal goes missing and sadly ends up being a MMIW statistic when her body is eventually found. Roberta returns to their regular watering hole to confront the bartender and try to figure out what happened. The bar is deserted except for Roberta and a Black man taking refuge from the “die-in” protests at Grand Central over police brutality.

Woman Directed Film - Documentary Short

Beautiful Humans: Creative Arts Therapy on Rikers

Filmed at Rikers Island jail in NYC, where for the first time, dance and music therapy sessions were recorded live. This film documents creative arts therapy sessions on the island, with individuals detained on Rikers Island as participants. Film features interviews with therapists on the methods and goals, as well as brief statements by 2 participants on the impact. Correctional Health Services, a division of NYC Health+Hospitals, provides the therapy.

Documentary Short Film Competition

The World According to Carlijn

Dutch cartographer Carlijn Kingma is an upcoming star worldwide, compared to M.C. Escher and Piranesi. Behind her drawing table, she creates worlds in order to understand the world around us. Carlijn gave filmmaker Ariane Greep permission to follow her from the first day she started drawing her latest project 'The Waterworks of Money', starting on the white canvas and following her to the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023 where Carlijn was asked to represent the Netherlands and show her drawings about our financial system. She won several prizes; the Master Storyteller prize, and the Dutch Design Award. The Venice Architecture Biennale put her on the international map.

Woman Directed Film - Documentary Feature

SHIRINGA: Fashion regenerating Amazonia

In the Peruvian Amazon, an Indigenous community make a bio-material alternative to animal-derived and synthetic leather while defending their land.

Woman Directed Film - Documentary Short

Widowbird

Political reporter Talia Brin weathers the storm as she travels from New York to New Hampshire, where she is set to interview Presidential Candidate Jefferson Wyckoff. Out on the campaign trail, Talia is flooded with memories of her recently deceased mother. Driving through the fog of grief, Talia is confronted with the mysterious disappearance of Eleanor, a young woman who might be connected to the politician she is set to interview. Talia seeks justice for Eleanor and peace for herself, as she drives North through dark roads.

Documentary Competition

AFTER: Poetry Destroys Silence

A deep dive into the creative responsibility of writers when faced with catastrophe and genocide. Do they bury their heads in the sand or reach out to the world with their creative gift? The actors and poets include Melissa Leo in a scene performing a poem, Lost Photo. Leo won an Academy Award, Primetime Emmy and the Sundance Independent Spirit Award. Géza Röhrig (Academy Award winning film, Son of Saul, currently starring in Terrence Malick’s latest film as Jesus Christ.) Director/Producer Richard Kroehling (Einstein: How I See the World with William Hurt) is a two-time Emmy Award winner.

Documentary Competition

We Never Left

Saying goodbye to loved ones at the Beirut airport has become an unfortunate tradition in Lebanon, almost a curse. Lebanese emigrants, driven abroad by decades of turmoil, are more than double those still left in their homeland. After civil protests erupt in Lebanon on October 17th 2019, WE NEVER LEFT follows three young Lebanese expats as they take part in the Lebanese revolution from New York fighting for a better country, each protesting in their own way. As they go through their collective journey, they all individually confront both their relationship with their homeland and their own complicated identities. This is the story of the Lebanese people and revolutions both political and personal.

Woman Directed Film - Documentary Feature

Love & Vodka / Love & Horilka

Based upon a true story, LOVE & VODKA is a romantic dramedy with a heart-felt, dramatic twist about Bobby, a high school film teacher/fledgling screenwriter who recalls the magic of 2018, when he falls in love with Katya, a Ukrainian exchange student. Three years later, Russia attacks Ukraine. Inspired by his love for Katya, her family and Ukraine, Bobby keeps their memories and the hope for their reuniting alive by writing the tales of his surreal adventures there and working to get Katya and her family away from the war to safety. Can he finish the script, save the love-of-his-life AND rescue her family?

Documentary Competition